People all around Davis County are living with freezing temperatures that won’t quit and enormous drifts of snow in what has been one of the harshest winters in years.

In fact, many are comparing this weekend’s snowstorm that halted school, government services and even political party meetings to the storms of 1993. See a 20-year-old photo one of our readers sent us in this edition of the Clipper.

The chill of winter and its dark days are depressing and demotivating for many. For others, winter and the storms that come with it are even more devastating; they prevent mobility. The ugly, unhealthy smog from winter weather inversions doesn’t help.

We have fewer chances to get out of the house, so now is a good time to count our blessings.

Many people have already committed time and spent hours in the cold to help us better navigate during the storms and subzero temperatures that have followed.

First among these are snowplow drivers, firefighters and police officers. We are particularly proud of Bountiful City’s work to clear the roads.

Over the weekend, dozens of firefighters and police officers braved the storm to help everyone from people whose cars had slid off the road to people fleeing from homes that had caught fire. Thank you for supporting these efforts with your tax dollars; we are all better off for it.

Everyday residents who shovel their sidewalks, clear snow from the mailboxes and fire hydrants near their homes and help their neighbors do the same also deserve our thanks.

The trials of winter weather, like windstorms and wildfires before it, show the vibrancy and the caring nature of our community.

We can also be thankful for the snow itself. It brings much-needed water that we hope will fill our depleted reservoirs for next summer. Water on the ground could also help prevent forest fires, providing that it doesn’t melt too quickly.

The snow also brings recreation possibilities such as skiing, snowboarding and sledding. Therefore, it brings money and jobs to our state. It also brings tremendous fun and stunning panoramic vies, both of which are envied around the world.

You can enjoy other winter pleasures within the warmth of your home. Hot chocolate tastes best this time of year, and hot soup after spending time in the cold is one of the great pleasures of the season.

Even the smog isn’t all bad Р It’s unhealthy and ugly, of course, but the fact that we notice it during winter inversions proves that our air is of very high quality during most days of the year.

We have reason to keep hope alive and to remain cheery. The joys, sights and fresh scents of spring are just a few months away, and the days are getting longer.

We can’t expect the hoorahs of July parades or the widespread merriment of the holidays in mid-January, but look around: Even now, there is much to be thankful for and much to find pleasure in. We’ll get through this together.